Time
by Megwill
Summary: They all stare at the extinct creature which inhabits the Jeffersonian, even Caroline Julian. One problem when Angela tries to leave the automatic doors wont open. Forced together, it's only a matter of time before the Mastodon sounds it's trunk for all.


"Time"

"_Time, You left me standin there. Like a tree growin' all alone the wind just stripped me bare,_

_stripped me bare. Time, the past has come and gone. The futures far away. Well now only lasts,_

_for one second, one second."_

-Hootie and The Blowfish

We all stare at the giant Mastodon in the Jeffersonian. Everyone is here the whole "Land of Misfits" as Booth would say. Plus, Caroline Julian though I believe she is a part of the whole-she did bring us together. Angela turns around to leave halfway dragging Hodgins along only to find the automatic doors are closed. I watch as Hodgins pushes on the doors, to no avail. "What the hell are you doing to that door child?" now everyone was looking at Hodgins awaiting an answer.

"We're locked in, the door is broken." Hodgins directs this to Miss Julian first then addresses all of us. "It is automatic they malfunction."

"You have to be kidding me if you think I'm staying in here all night with you people. Make the thing function, you have a genius, and… whatever the rest of you are. You would think you could fix a door. All I know is someone better get me the hell outta here, and soon."

I feel my heart start to race I don't want to be stuck here with Booth, not after learning of his serious as a heart attack girl friend. He may have moved on, but I had never admitted to him that I loved him. That night at Hoover, he unloaded everything so fast all I knew to do was to build my walls and protect myself.

I never had a chance to think over what he said, and when I finally did acknowledge the possibility of us it was too late. Booth had said metaphorical marks needed to fade before a person could move on, I was still marked. I wanted to tell him, but had missed my moment-I was in Limbo.

"Oh Wendell, you were working on buses when Dr. Brennan asked for your help, maybe you could be of assistance." Cam

"Buses are not automatic doors."

"Right."

Miss Julian walked over to Booth. "Cherie, I can call you in Afghanistan where you are a day ahead of us, you can train soldiers, but you are telling me you can't get me the hell out of this building? Where is your gun? Just shoot the damn thing."

"I'm not carrying it I haven't got my weapon back. I turned it in before I left." Miss Julian rolled her eyes and turned away from Booth.

"Um, I feel we should just call someone to fix whatever problem the system is having. I believe it will make everyone much happier if we just call an expert. Then he or she can examine the system's problem and come up with a solution. That way we can all go home, or wherever it is we feel like going."

"Amazing, a genius and her gang and babbling Brooke is the one with the solution." I watch and no one touches their cell. "What are you people waiting for? Cherie, call someone."

Booth promptly takes his phone out and dials what I can only imagine is information. We listen to him speak and watch as he exhales, he is on hold. Eventually he hangs up. "They said because of the late hour it may take a little while."

"What's a little while?" Hodgins

"Yeah, what's a little while?" Miss Julian

"About three hours."

"Oh, well isn't that just perfect."

I look at Angela to my right she catches my eye I look left to Booth he holds my stare a second then I look away. Wendell is quiet, Sweets sighs as Daisy mumbles something to herself. I inhale and exhale, it was going to be a long three hours.

"At least it's only three hours and not four." Daisy

"Honey, I hate to tell you, but a lot can happen in three hours. Hell a lot can happen in five minutes, yet you don't see anyone moving quickly do you. I wouldn't doubt if it was four."

Miss Julian was right we all had secrets from our seven months and in three hours a lot could happen. I had acknowledged I loved Booth, Angela was pregnant, Booth had a serious as a heart attack relationship, Daisy and Sweets were engaged, but she wasn't wearing her ring.

We all had secrets, secrets shouldn't be given away. Secrets ate you up inside and secrets always seemed to be exposed with time, we had three hours. One Hundred eighty minutes or what could seem like three days. While I had learned I loved Booth while away. I had also learned measuring time depended on how, where, and who you spent it with or without. Time was holding us prisoner, time taught me about love, and time convinced me it shouldn't be wasted.

The hour glass stuck to the table I had watched as the time turned from today to tomorrow, second to second. I suddenly found I wasn't able to just sit back and watch anymore. Now it was time to face my fears, we all had secrets, and while I should hold mine in. I was quite certain seven months had been long enough hell it had almost been seven years. I wondered if he would ever know? I wondered If I would ever have the courage to speak what I acknowledged? Most of all I wondered exactly what was going to happen in the next one hundred eighty minutes.

* * *

Continue? I'm unsure...especially about my own time. I have only written stories that have personal experience in them, all I have in common with this one is the nagging "Time is a great teacher." Plus, when I was younger I was accidently locked in a horse trailer for two hrs w/ my friend.

I know in reality they would prob. be able to get out quicker. But in reality... there is no way in hell Caroline Julian would have been able to just up and call Booth on the satellite phone, I know. You can't even call them back when it cuts out. Anyway, let me know and if enough people like it I may post a couple more chaps. on nights I can't sleep, like this one.


End file.
